Prince and Castle Crasher
by ThatSplendidJerk
Summary: Togami's nights are full of doubt and despair keeps coming closer. Could many events that turned his secure castle into a house of cards and a shy writer into a walking nightmare be linked to what he seemingly lost? This fic is located after the events of DR1 and slightly before those in DR2. TogaFuka. Rated K for use of language and understanding. Slice of life, implied feelings.


**Prince and Castle Crasher**

**Note: This fic is located after the events of DR1 and slightly before those in DR2. No major spoilers, just the setup and such.**

Future Foundation headquarters, the four main dorms's occupants were sailing peacefully the realm of dreams.

Snoring in the Green Dorm, pertaining to Naegi.

Weightless breathing in the Opal Dorm, that of Kirigiri.

Small whimpers in the Crimson Dorm, where Fukawa was resting.

And in the Turquoise Dorm…

Toss, over to one side, over to the other… pull on the blanket… grip on the pillow, toss back, fetal position, creak.

_Creak?!_

Togami almost jumped outside his bed in alert. His hand has automatically fumbled with his glasses and he calmed down somewhat. The creak sound was his fist clutching his glasses tight.

He was having almost daily nightmares. One after the other. Some were vivid, others were blurry, a handful were blissy, a few were mockful. In some of them Monokuma was making fun of him, telling him over and over: _"Only in dreams will your memories return… and you will have not a minute of rest or peace. You bastards will never know if the memories your dreams show are illusions or the real thing… you'll never know if I stole more memories than those from your lost years…" _

He willed himself to close his eyes and avoid falling prey to the malevolent bear. Shaking in silent rage, he curled over to regain his sleep, small drops of sweat dripping from his forehead.

And indeed, sleep gained the upper hand. Togami allowed the unknown to take over, swirling away into slumberland.

************************************************** 

-I'm very glad you came, young master.

Togami found himself in a dream, within familiar situation. The young heir prospects had to manage community relations since their infancy, visiting hospitals, presiding over the inauguration of working class facilities and the like, as part of their social skills training. A young Byakuya, indeed, was before his own eyes. The tiny byproduct of the Togami Group education was a mirthless, glaring little man-child, not older than five, his eyes icy and malevolent already. He already had that air of contempt towards every living creature of lower upbringings than his.

-My duty indeed – he heard his younger self say, his voice already void of any trace of childhood. – What is it this time?  
-A day care center for working women– the chairman promptly filled in. Those Togami kids were such pests. One had to answer quick and straight, or else they would turn into scary, scathing little monsters.  
-Not bad indeed – tiny Byakuya spoke softly, ice mist in his pitch, a derisive snort at the end of the phrase. – They can't say they're not going to work because they don't have a place to leave their brats in.

No one objected that he himself was a child of day-care age. Dare to talk back to a Togami, and the dress-down sure would hurt. Togami looked at himself with mild curiosity. He lacked fantasy, so the feeling of looking at himself from another point of view was new to him. Sure, he was a darn little fox… so many of his present quirks were already in that tiny body. He felt a sense of accomplishment, but also he felt a sort of oppression on his chest.

Because he now knew that his automated self, back there, was the root of his blunt and inhuman demeanor. He now knew that human life wasn't something to be treated like a game, a prize, a collectible from a curiosity shop.

They walked towards a sun-lit, brand-new room, where a handful of children were timidly playing with the new toys. Little Byakuya's eyes started looking almost immediately for "prey". He was bored, pissed off and wanted nothing except to be back for lunch at the closest Togami mansion at hand. As he couldn't just step away from his duty... well...he would have a little _fun_ with those lowly preschoolers when no one was looking.

Togami felt a strange unease in his guts at the hungry, cruel, wolfish urge to hurt others his younger self displayed. And sure enough, when he was sure no one was looking, he strode past the adults, his smirk growing in malice, towards the kids's room.

All by her own, a young girl was kneeling awkwardly, pitting together wooden geometrical figures to construct a castle. The child scion zeroed on her as a canine focus on a lone sheep. So absorbed was her, her long auburn braids falling at each side of her face, her big round glasses fixed on the beauty of her creation, that she didn't see the danger she was in.

So she didn't look at him when he did her the favor of entering her breathing space?

He would make her pay sorely for that mistake…

Togami's throat constricted. He wanted to shout, to warn her… he knew who that child was… he knew it too well! He would later meet her as _both_ Touko Fukawa and Genocider… could that childhood episode be behind the origin of her double personality ordeal?!

_BRAM_

A gasp of horror finally escaped his vocal chords. His child self, Byakuya, had kicked the castle, scattering and sending the pieces flying all around. His face was lit with a cruel delight. Tiny Touko, taken by surprise, made a weak tentative to protect her masterpiece, her face a mask of fear and disgust. An expression he had seen quite often in her face. And it had been him… him… the first one to make her hate and fear pretty boys. Cruel irony, that one was.

So that might've been the story of Genocider within Fukawa. No. He was pretty sure that one was a true memory. The annoying laugh of Monokuma, taunting him, covered his child self's own, coldly amused snicker at his merciless feat. _"Are you sure that memory is even true, you bastard? For all that you know, I might still be toying with your weaky little mind, Togami-kun!"_

_-N-nna-nn-nanda to…- _Tiny Fukawa was pale with loathing, eyeing the contemptuous, evil-grinned would-be Togami scion. – W-why… I was- here-on my own- I wasn't b-bo-bothering you…

-Yes you were – Byakuya replied smugly – Weren't you breathing perchance?

More hatred shone in her eyes. More chilly amusement lit his. She was incredulously staring at the beautiful, prince-like boy, as pretty as cold and heartless. An urge to maim him, to make him pay for her destroyed castle, seeped through her little body.  
She stood up, pulled open an art-and-craft cabinet behind her, rummaging with one hand close to her back, her little grey eyes feverishly fixed in the human-shaped iceberg that was treating her so cruelly.

She finally grabbed a pair of round-tip children's scissors and pointed them towards little Byakuya, who was egging her on with her tauntful attitude.

The petite Touko advanced towards him, shaking with visible wrath…

His smirking face then sobered to his usual haughtiness in a nanosecond. He had heard steps. Adult steps. Lifting his head as high as he could, he dropped his arms at the sides, and the auburn-haired girl had the sense of hiding the scissors inside the sleeves of her lavender coat.

-Young master! Is this commoner child bothering you?  
Byakuya's now expressionless eyes looked up to his valet and assistants. He snorted, brushing his sleeve of dust – Not much. She only wanted to know what did it feel to be close to royalty…  
-What were you doing here, young master? – the valet was visibly worried – If you catch a disease from this – children… - master is going to lash at me.  
-Like I'd get ill with a disease from these weaklings – was the contemptuous reply.

Touko was pushed away roughly from Byakuya's vicinity, as if she was a piece of furniture. Togami, his entire body shaking, couldn't say a word or do anything but stare at the selfish little brat he was, while her eyes – Fukawa's big, grey eyes – welled with rageful, pained tears.

He also heard a shriek, a woman entered the room and started shouting at Fukawa, who cowered at the sight of her. – Touko! What did I tell you? How can you be such a mean, rude, disgusting child? To approach the young master Togami-sama like that! I'll teach you to be like_that_ to our benefactor!

As little Byakuya has taken out by his entourage, Touko was able to catch a brief glimpse of him. His icy eyes gave her a fleeting, triumphant look, as he smiled with despise at her. One second later, his face was again void of emotion.  
And as the scene faded into black, Monokuma's "Upupupupu!" was pounding in his ears.

***********************

He woke with a start, a weak gasp coming out of his sweat- covered lips. He picked a handtowel and dutifully dried huis face and forehead. His mind was spinning. She was hit, and it was his fault.

_Think think think._ Was that memory even real? Could he trust his dreams, or was Monokuma right? No he couldn't be… but the scene on his dream made so much sense he couldn't deny it hadn't happened.

He rose from his bed, passing a hand along his hair.

He took a while to dress himself up, look half decent, and feel like he could stride outside his room in a confident manner.

Pressing the intercom, he could hear Fukawa's squeaky, agitated gasps as she trod over, tripped, _(…Urusei…)_ stumbled into every item in the room _(…Mattaku… )_ and finally half opened her door to peek at the aisle _(… Tsk… tsuini…)_

As her half-asleep eyes realized who had rang her bell, her eyes went wide in surprise.

-B-byakuya-sama…  
-About time you found your way to the door – Togami held the glasses by the bridge, in his peculiar manner to show he was being condescendent. – Honestly, I never thought you commoners had it that rough to open a simple door…  
-I-I'm sorry for making you wait! It's that-my glasses weren't, uh… n-never mind. H-how can I fulfill your wishes? – she stammered maliciously, twiddling her fingers and blushing like a poppy.

Togami, his face screwed in a serious gesture, suddenly outstretched his arms, grabbed her shoulders and shook Fukawa in her place. The braided girl stared at him in bewilderment. His hands had gripped her in a way that didn't hurt. It was as if he wanted to check she was there, in front of him, solid, safe and sound…

-Do you hate me, Fukawa? – he asked, his voice rougher and harsher than he had intended it to sound. Touko's eyes were now the size of saucers. Did he catch a fever...?!

-H-ha-_hate you?!_ Nnnnn-no way, Togami-sama! W-why are you asking me…such things… d-di-did something happen?

Icy eyes stared down at her owlish, enlarged grey pupils with something close to contempt.

-Hmph. Nothing much, – he stated, letting go of the now joyfully trembling Super Duper Literary Girl. – I heard rustles in _my_ room and came to check if _you_ - and _her_ of course...- were in your room.

He crossed his arms, staring at her out of the corner of his eye.

-But you are, and _yukatta_ fot that – he hissed, irony seeping through his lips. - You're being your usual annoying puppy self, chasing at your tail and being a general walking disaster. It doesn't look like I had to worry about the likes of _you._

He turned with a haughty snort and walked back towards his room.

Touko stood frozen, her face all shades of scarlet, clutching her shoulders where Togami's hands had shaken her. _B-b-b-Byakuya –sama came to check on m-me! He is worried! Worried about m-me! Isn't he shy, he wouldn't tell me he was c-caring for his Fukawa!_

And this time, at least, she wasn't wrong.

For Togami, his hand on the Foundation's dorm key, felt his fingertips burning oddly hot. _I never thought it would be that difficult,_ he mused. For now, it seems I'm forgiven for having destroyed her castle of dreams. He heaved a sigh, as he entered his bed in his silky pajamas, but a quiet smile distended his face.

Because if the dream he had was a lost memory, he knew fully well that he had made up for his childhood demeanor. In his own cold, uncompromising way, he would look over her and protect her from harm. He shook his golden mane, negating the voices inside of him. No romance was ever intended. He was a Togami, and debts had to be paid in full.

He had castle-crashed her dream to be a little princess...  
But now she finally had an icy prince to call her own...


End file.
